Approved by WhiteDMist
OP stolen from Leer in RU, who took it from Lord Alphose and xzern in NU
Past Players of the Week: : Magnemite, galbia, gasquakee, scorpdestroyer, Simipour, Anty, Raiza, 2xTheTap
Welcome back to PU Player of the Week, an experience unlike any seen before (bar in every other tier and some OMs). This weekly thread hopes to capitalize and promote good players in the tier, while helping newer players by giving advice and showing effective strategies in the metagame.
TONE114
Most Known For: PU QC team, PU Room Moderator, "Bitches Love Cannons", Pretty cool dude, One of the few people with numbers in their names that's remotely cool (haha kingler12345), Hosts PU Victim of the Week
Favorite Pokemon: Clawitzer (duh)
Most used Pokemon: Ursaring
For starters, what do you do in real life, and what are some of your hobbies?
I'm currently a college student working for my degree in Financial Mathematics and I do some math tutoring on the side (remidial high school stuff, nothing fancy.) My hobbies include hanging out with my friends, playing video games, or just playing football (the American version) or studying Math (i'm kind of a math junkie, but nothing too complicated.)
Where did TONE114 come from, and why haven't you removed the numbers yet?
Well the nickname "Tone" came from back when I was around 9 years old when one of my mom's friends would always call me Tone instead of by my actual name and then everyone started calling me by Tone so it pretty much stuck with me even through high school and now into college. As for the 114 part, Tone was taken when I tried to register the name, so instead of thinking up random numbers to add on, I just took my birthday (January 14th) and added it to the end and thus TONE114 was made. As for getting rid of the numbers, I more than likely will get rid of them. As to when I'll do that, I don't know yet.
How did you get into Pokemon Showdown!, and more importantly into the PU tier?
Well I wasn't the best battler, let alone teambuilder, so I decided to try looking up new battle strategies and I stumbled across Pokemon Showdown! around late 2013. I wasn't the best battler, much less a teambuilder, so I settled into the Competitive Tutoring room as I did play OU a lot when i first started playing competitively around the beginning of XY. Over the past year and a half, I met a bunch of great people who were willing to help me along as I tried to get better at battling as a whole. As for getting into the PU tier itself, I wanted to expand my knowledge beyond OU and I wanted to try out lower tiers since I'll be forced to run lesser known Pokemon which was fun to try out. The PU room just started out when I first joined back around the Musharna meta and the people I've gotten to know since then as well as the community have all been great and I've loved the tier ever since.
Now that we have the basics down, what are your opinions on the Linoone quick suspect?
Well it needs to go to be honest. It limits teambuilding as you always have to have a check like Kadabra or some physically defensive Pokemon dedicated to stopping Linoone, and even then Linoone can easier be paired with other sweepers to wear down its own checks much less having daul screen/memento support is all it needs to easily 6-0 unprepared teams on top the fact that ExtremeSpeed has higher priority than Sucker and Mach Punch so you can't even revenge kill it.
Moving on, what are your thoughts on the new drops?
Well the new drops have definitely changed things up for the tier. Exeggutor in part being one of the big drops, being able to perform multiple set from Specs, Life Orb, Sun sweeper, Trick Room sweeper, Harvest + resist berry, just an overall great Pokemon in general. Pawniard coming back will be pretty interesting as having a Pokemon with a good typing and combination of Knock Off and Sucker Punch, hazard stack as well as Dark Spam alongside Mightyena can make an immeadiate impact to unprepared teams. Bouffalant coming back brings a nice bulky attacker into the mix as it fit so well on balanced teams looking for a Grass immunity without relying so much on Zebstrika while having the ability to run a Swords Dance or an Assault Vest set. Gorebyss brings a very good Shell Smasher making it a very potent offensive threat after a boost, however this does come with being outsped by scarfers such as Mr. Mime and Rotom-Frost which Huntail has Sucker Punch for. Despite this, Gorebyss remains a Pokemon to look out. Lastly, Gothitelle doesn't really have that impact like the other drops do, however has a neat Mean Look + Calm Mind set which can surprise unprepared teams. Overall, the meta looks promising and I can't wait to see how it shapes up.
Speaking of the new metagame shifts, have any Pokemon seemed to raise in viability in your opinion due to them?
Well from a rising standpoint, Zweilous and Murkrow has been shown some love due to the shift as Zweilous is one of the few Pokemon that can switch into Exeggutor bar HP Fighting while Murkrow posesses Prankster Thunder Wave as well as good STAB options with Brave Bird and Sucker Punch and having HP Fighting for Pawniard.
On the same token, have any Pokemon seemed to drop in viability based on the drops?
As for drops, Raichu looks like the loser out of this as while it can pull a Choice Scarf set to act as a revenge killer, it is relatively weak without Life Orb plus Rotom-F can pull off such a set better due to a better STAB combination and higher Special Attack. Roselia has also taken a slight hit, but can still work just as well as before being a solid Water and Electric check.
Okay so, let's get back to you. How has your experience as a PU moderator affected you?
Sometimes it's a bit stressful as you have to maintain order or try to keep the conversation PU related, but I have enjoyed it to be perfectly honest. It feels good when people have questions to ask and you have the answers for them or to give some battling advice for those new to the tier. Overall its very rewarding and I like helping people out.
What is your favorite playstyle in the metagame?
Right now balanced/hyper offense are my favorite styles in this metagame. Hyper offense is fun as I can set the tone early with entry hazards and overwhelm my opponent with my hard hitters (as my old sample team can attest to), whereas with balance I have a sense of picking my options on how to win and work out a plan on how to achieve my goal.
In your opinion, who do you think has the best shot of winning seasonals?
That's a tough one as everyone that's left has a good shot of winning, though probably Megazard or Galbia would be my bet. Anty and Magnemite also has a shot from the loser's bracket bar they don't choke/get haxed or whatnot, tho It'd be nice to see someone who actually plays PU win to be honest.
What advice do you have to newer players in the tier?
For starters, the PU forum is a great place to get started with from the Viablility Rankings to the Sample Teams thread. Laddering also helps in getting a feel for the tier even though it isn't the most reliable source. Above all else, just remember to have fun. It's one thing that you want to learn the tier, but there have been plently of cases of losing to hax or extremely bad strategies that can easily rile people up and throw you off your game. It is difficult to think this way and it can easily cloud your judment, plus there's no sense in complaining over something you can't control. Long story short, use the forums to your advantage, don't be afraid to ask for help, and just have fun. That's the important thing.
Finally, do you have a team that sort of embodies you as a player, as well as the current metagame?
What are your thoughts on this week's interview? If you have extra questions for TONE114, feel free to ask them in the comments, and if you want a player interviewed, feel free to leave a post on my profile.
OP stolen from Leer in RU, who took it from Lord Alphose and xzern in NU
Past Players of the Week: : Magnemite, galbia, gasquakee, scorpdestroyer, Simipour, Anty, Raiza, 2xTheTap
Welcome back to PU Player of the Week, an experience unlike any seen before (bar in every other tier and some OMs). This weekly thread hopes to capitalize and promote good players in the tier, while helping newer players by giving advice and showing effective strategies in the metagame.
TONE114
Most Known For: PU QC team, PU Room Moderator, "Bitches Love Cannons", Pretty cool dude, One of the few people with numbers in their names that's remotely cool (haha kingler12345), Hosts PU Victim of the Week
Favorite Pokemon: Clawitzer (duh)
Most used Pokemon: Ursaring
For starters, what do you do in real life, and what are some of your hobbies?
I'm currently a college student working for my degree in Financial Mathematics and I do some math tutoring on the side (remidial high school stuff, nothing fancy.) My hobbies include hanging out with my friends, playing video games, or just playing football (the American version) or studying Math (i'm kind of a math junkie, but nothing too complicated.)
Where did TONE114 come from, and why haven't you removed the numbers yet?
Well the nickname "Tone" came from back when I was around 9 years old when one of my mom's friends would always call me Tone instead of by my actual name and then everyone started calling me by Tone so it pretty much stuck with me even through high school and now into college. As for the 114 part, Tone was taken when I tried to register the name, so instead of thinking up random numbers to add on, I just took my birthday (January 14th) and added it to the end and thus TONE114 was made. As for getting rid of the numbers, I more than likely will get rid of them. As to when I'll do that, I don't know yet.
How did you get into Pokemon Showdown!, and more importantly into the PU tier?
Well I wasn't the best battler, let alone teambuilder, so I decided to try looking up new battle strategies and I stumbled across Pokemon Showdown! around late 2013. I wasn't the best battler, much less a teambuilder, so I settled into the Competitive Tutoring room as I did play OU a lot when i first started playing competitively around the beginning of XY. Over the past year and a half, I met a bunch of great people who were willing to help me along as I tried to get better at battling as a whole. As for getting into the PU tier itself, I wanted to expand my knowledge beyond OU and I wanted to try out lower tiers since I'll be forced to run lesser known Pokemon which was fun to try out. The PU room just started out when I first joined back around the Musharna meta and the people I've gotten to know since then as well as the community have all been great and I've loved the tier ever since.
Now that we have the basics down, what are your opinions on the Linoone quick suspect?
Well it needs to go to be honest. It limits teambuilding as you always have to have a check like Kadabra or some physically defensive Pokemon dedicated to stopping Linoone, and even then Linoone can easier be paired with other sweepers to wear down its own checks much less having daul screen/memento support is all it needs to easily 6-0 unprepared teams on top the fact that ExtremeSpeed has higher priority than Sucker and Mach Punch so you can't even revenge kill it.
Moving on, what are your thoughts on the new drops?
Well the new drops have definitely changed things up for the tier. Exeggutor in part being one of the big drops, being able to perform multiple set from Specs, Life Orb, Sun sweeper, Trick Room sweeper, Harvest + resist berry, just an overall great Pokemon in general. Pawniard coming back will be pretty interesting as having a Pokemon with a good typing and combination of Knock Off and Sucker Punch, hazard stack as well as Dark Spam alongside Mightyena can make an immeadiate impact to unprepared teams. Bouffalant coming back brings a nice bulky attacker into the mix as it fit so well on balanced teams looking for a Grass immunity without relying so much on Zebstrika while having the ability to run a Swords Dance or an Assault Vest set. Gorebyss brings a very good Shell Smasher making it a very potent offensive threat after a boost, however this does come with being outsped by scarfers such as Mr. Mime and Rotom-Frost which Huntail has Sucker Punch for. Despite this, Gorebyss remains a Pokemon to look out. Lastly, Gothitelle doesn't really have that impact like the other drops do, however has a neat Mean Look + Calm Mind set which can surprise unprepared teams. Overall, the meta looks promising and I can't wait to see how it shapes up.
Speaking of the new metagame shifts, have any Pokemon seemed to raise in viability in your opinion due to them?
Well from a rising standpoint, Zweilous and Murkrow has been shown some love due to the shift as Zweilous is one of the few Pokemon that can switch into Exeggutor bar HP Fighting while Murkrow posesses Prankster Thunder Wave as well as good STAB options with Brave Bird and Sucker Punch and having HP Fighting for Pawniard.
On the same token, have any Pokemon seemed to drop in viability based on the drops?
As for drops, Raichu looks like the loser out of this as while it can pull a Choice Scarf set to act as a revenge killer, it is relatively weak without Life Orb plus Rotom-F can pull off such a set better due to a better STAB combination and higher Special Attack. Roselia has also taken a slight hit, but can still work just as well as before being a solid Water and Electric check.
Okay so, let's get back to you. How has your experience as a PU moderator affected you?
Sometimes it's a bit stressful as you have to maintain order or try to keep the conversation PU related, but I have enjoyed it to be perfectly honest. It feels good when people have questions to ask and you have the answers for them or to give some battling advice for those new to the tier. Overall its very rewarding and I like helping people out.
What is your favorite playstyle in the metagame?
Right now balanced/hyper offense are my favorite styles in this metagame. Hyper offense is fun as I can set the tone early with entry hazards and overwhelm my opponent with my hard hitters (as my old sample team can attest to), whereas with balance I have a sense of picking my options on how to win and work out a plan on how to achieve my goal.
In your opinion, who do you think has the best shot of winning seasonals?
That's a tough one as everyone that's left has a good shot of winning, though probably Megazard or Galbia would be my bet. Anty and Magnemite also has a shot from the loser's bracket bar they don't choke/get haxed or whatnot, tho It'd be nice to see someone who actually plays PU win to be honest.
What advice do you have to newer players in the tier?
For starters, the PU forum is a great place to get started with from the Viablility Rankings to the Sample Teams thread. Laddering also helps in getting a feel for the tier even though it isn't the most reliable source. Above all else, just remember to have fun. It's one thing that you want to learn the tier, but there have been plently of cases of losing to hax or extremely bad strategies that can easily rile people up and throw you off your game. It is difficult to think this way and it can easily cloud your judment, plus there's no sense in complaining over something you can't control. Long story short, use the forums to your advantage, don't be afraid to ask for help, and just have fun. That's the important thing.
Finally, do you have a team that sort of embodies you as a player, as well as the current metagame?
Well this team is one I've been tinkering with for a bit and the point of this team is to try to accomplish a sweep with either SubNP Ninetales or Coil Arbok. Mixed Life Orb Floatzel aids in this by providing speed and has Ice Beam to lure in Tangela and Gourgeist. Bouffalant provides a Sleep absorber as well as a bulky attacker which I really like having on teams like this. Stunfisk provides Stealth Rocks as well as a good switchin to physical attackers like Dodrio and Monferno. Mr. Mime provides a revenge killer and a Healing Wish user should any member of team becomes weakened. Lastly Arbok is here to act as a backup win condition, a Machoke switchin, and is running Shuca Berry for Stunfisk as this team is susceptable to Ground attacks. This team has a nice combination of bulk, priority, and speed which I really like making in this current metagame.
Ninetales @ Salac Berry
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Substitute
- Nasty Plot
- Fire Blast
- Energy Ball
Floatzel @ Life Orb
Ability: Water Veil
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Waterfall
- Ice Punch
- Aqua Jet
- Ice Beam
Bouffalant @ Assault Vest
Ability: Sap Sipper
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Return
- Earthquake
- Megahorn
- Pursuit
Mr. Mime @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Filter
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Dazzling Gleam
- Focus Blast
- Healing Wish
Stunfisk @ Leftovers
Ability: Static
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Stealth Rock
- Toxic
- Discharge
- Earth Power
Arbok @ Shuca Berry
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Coil
- Gunk Shot
- Earthquake
- Sucker Punch
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Substitute
- Nasty Plot
- Fire Blast
- Energy Ball
Floatzel @ Life Orb
Ability: Water Veil
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Waterfall
- Ice Punch
- Aqua Jet
- Ice Beam
Bouffalant @ Assault Vest
Ability: Sap Sipper
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Return
- Earthquake
- Megahorn
- Pursuit
Mr. Mime @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Filter
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Dazzling Gleam
- Focus Blast
- Healing Wish
Stunfisk @ Leftovers
Ability: Static
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Stealth Rock
- Toxic
- Discharge
- Earth Power
Arbok @ Shuca Berry
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Coil
- Gunk Shot
- Earthquake
- Sucker Punch
What are your thoughts on this week's interview? If you have extra questions for TONE114, feel free to ask them in the comments, and if you want a player interviewed, feel free to leave a post on my profile.
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